[Correlation of lymphangiogenesis to progression of colorectal cancer]

Lymphatic metastasis affects the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. The binding of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3) promotes lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis. This study was to investigate the interrelation of VEGF-C, VEGFR-3 and lymphangial density (LAD), and to identify their correlations to clinicopathologic factors of colorectal cancer.

The tissue microarrays containing 105 cases of colorectal cancer and 105 cases of normal colorectal tissue were produced separately. The expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 was detected by immunohistochemistry; LAD was assessed through Podoplanin immunohistochemical staining.

The positive rates of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3, and LAD were significantly higher in colorectal cancer than in normal colorectal tissue (61.0% vs. 22.8%, P<0.01; 55.2% vs. 20.0%, P<0.01; 8.91+/-3.75 vs. 6.68+/-1.38, P<0.01). The expression of VEGF-C had no correlation to that of VEGFR-3. LAD was significantly higher in VEGF-C-positive colorectal cancer than in VEGF-C-negative colorectal cancer (10.89+/-3.36 vs. 5.83+/-1.67, P<0.01). VEGF-C was up-regulated in colorectal cancer at Dukes'C stage, or with lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis; VEGFR-3 was up-regulated and LAD was higher in colorectal cancer at Dukes'C stage, or with lymph node metastasis.

VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 are related with the lymphangiogenesis, lymphatic metastasis, and progression of colorectal cancer.